The invention relates to an inner door handle for automobiles.
The inner door handle of automobiles commonly has a lever which is biased by a spring towards a basic position. The lever is linked to a door lock via a driving connection, e.g. a cord or linkage.
It is also known to bolt the lock by actuation of the lever. To this end, the lever when actuated is pivoted in a direction opposite to the direction of actuation to open the door, i.e. the lever is pivoted into the door. This causes the door lock to be bolted. Such a bolting is also effected when the lock is actuated by a remote operation where actuation may be electromagnetic or electromotive. In this case, the actuating lever is uncoupled from the driving connection. This will ensure that the locked door cannot be unlocked by a person who puts his hand to the inside from outside, perhaps through a broken window pane, in an attempt to pivot the lever to an opening position.
In known designs, because of clearance and frictional forces, there is a danger that the actuating lever or handle has a non-defined basic position. In addition, it needs to be ensured that the actuating lever, when in its locked position, also shows this by its position and does not return to its basic position. In known designs, the actuating lever is completely under no load in its locking position. Therefore, it might well happen that it returns to its basic position.
This object is attained by the features of claim 1.
The inner door handle of the invention provides two springs which act on the actuating lever. A return spring is structured so as to bias the actuating lever towards a basic position if it is pivoted to the opening position. On the other hand, both the lever and return spring are structured such that the return spring does not bias the actuating lever when the lever is in its locking position. This is achieved, amongst other things, by providing another spring, a dead point spring, which biases the lever towards the locking position. This bias is only obtained, however, if the actuating lever is moved from the basic position to the locking position and thereby exceeds a dead point position. Not until the dead point position is exceeded will the second spring make its action felt and bias the actuating lever towards the locking position. On the other hand, the second spring and the actuating lever are structured such that the lever, upon movement from the basic position to the locking position, will bias the dead point spring towards, the basic position after the lever exceeds the dead point position. This action will center the lever in the basic position regardless of whether there are tolerances or friction.
Thus, the inventive design has the advantage that the inner door handle is centered in its basic position, but this will simultaneously ensure that there is also a defined position in the locking position from which the handle cannot inadvertently be forced back independently to its basic position.
Various constructional types are imaginable in realizing the indicated teaching. In one aspect of the invention, the return spring which is rotatably supported in the housing has two legs. A first stop mounted on the lever is located between the legs. A second stop is between the legs as well, but is movable relative to a limited length guide of the housing and is biased by the dead point spring such that the dead point spring biases the second stop on both sides of the dead point position towards one end each of the guide. Finally, the lever has a cam portion which takes with it the second stop if the lever is pivoted from the basic position to the locking position. The return spring is preferably a helical spring the end of which is designed with legs of major length. The helical spring may be rotatably supported by a pin of the housing in order to be loosely carried along into the locking position upon pivoting the actuating lever to the locking position. When in the latter, only the dead point spring will act on the actuating lever.
In another aspect of the invention, the guide preferably has provided for it an arcuate slot in which a portion of the second stop is disposed, Thus, the second stop is a kind of a cam which is guided by the arcuate slot.